24
They demonstrate skills to make informed decisions, and propose and implement
actions that promote their own and others’ health, safety and wellbeing.
86
ACL submits that this program does more than explore gender diversity, sexual diversity and intersex
topics; it also encourages, through its treatment of these issues, a silencing of diversity of thought and
opinion. The program fails the curriculum requirement for inclusivity, because those students with,
hitherto, mainstream views about sexuality are intimidated into towing the line.
There is nothing within the “All of Us” program that seeks to teach respect, tolerance and inclusivity
for those who may, for
cultural or religious reasons, consider non-heterosexual expressions of
sexuality unacceptable, or even for those who,
for scientific reasons, consider transsexuality as a
manifestation of the medical condition,
gender dysphoria
.
Instead, the resource aims to have year 7 and 8 children celebrate the “diversity of each person’s
unique sexuality, gender identity or intersex status.” In the final lesson, children are urged to sign a
pledge to be an ally of non-heterosexual students. There is no discussion in the lesson plan on how a
student who chooses not to participate in such a pledge might be handled and their view respected.
The notion of the “safe space”, established in week one of the lessons,
does not leave room for
respecting views that are what the material describes as “heteronormative in nature”. The final lesson
plan states:
Heteronormativity describes a belief-system that reinforces that same sex attracted,
intersex, and gender diverse people are somehow less ‘normal’ than everyone else….
Reducing heteronormativity in schools can have good outcomes for everyone, not just
the LGBTI students
87
This leaves no room for students with traditional views to discuss with their classmates why they might
be uncomfortable with non-heterosexual expressions of sexuality. Those children that disagree with
non-heterosexual expressions of sexuality are likely to be intimidated into compliance with the
sexualisation of their peers.
Direct Sexualisation in “All of Us”
Lesson 2 of the “All of Us” program directly sexualises children by asking year 7 and 8 children (11 - 14
years old) to imagine themselves older (16 years old) and in a relationship. The lesson plan states:
Invite students to imagine themselves in the role of a young person who is aged 16
years or older and is going out with someone they are really into… Tell students on the
left-hand side of the room that their character is going out with someone of the same
sex, while the character of those on the right-hand side of the room is going out with
someone of the opposite sex.
88
Students are then required to consider ten questions, with yes or no answers, relating to the student’s
comfort with making public manifestations of their relationship and affection, as well as the
acceptance of
their relationship by family, school and community. Children are then required to
discuss the questions and share their opinions.
86
Ibid. p 9.
87
Ibid. p 42.
88
Psychologist: Too much sex ed too soon bad for kids' brains,
Sunshine Coast Daily,
31/07/2015
http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/too-much-sex-ed-too-soon-is-bad-for-brain/2724464/
25
The program’s instruction that a child must imagine themselves -- potentially two to five years-- older
is likely out of a desire to avoid asking eleven to fourteen year olds to imagine themselves in a romantic
or sexual relationship at their current age. Year seven and eight children are too young to legally be
allowed to engage in sexual activity. The age of consent in most states is sixteen (including NSW), in
some states, however, it is seventeen, and in some states it is even older for anal sex. It should be
noted that this program is designed for all Australian states and territories.
A NSW Department of Education and Training website now contains a lesson titled “Stepping Out"
which follows the same formula as the SSCA lesson plan.
89
Resource Development – The link between SSCA and Minus18
Minus18 describe themselves as “Australia’s largest youth led organisation for gay, lesbian, bisexual
and trans youth”
90
. SSCA develops, provides and promotes its resources
in collaboration with
Minus18. Most of the materials available to students are co-branded and some are co-written, for
example the SSCA resource ‘Stand Out’ states:
Stand Out was originally conceived and created in 2011 by Safe Schools Coalition
Victoria and Minus18, with funding from the Victorian Government.
Content on the endorsed Minus18 website
The content on the website of Minus18 is even more concerning and alarming.
Whilst not all of the content found on the Minus18 website is explicitly ‘official’ SSCA material, it is in
fact a website endorsed by the SSCA program and s
tudents are encouraged to make ongoing use of
the Minus18 website. For example, SSCA resource material tells students:
Try accessing the website minus18.org.au, safeschoolscoalition.org.au or some of the
groups listed at the back of this guide. Are any of them blocked? If so, for what reason?
Speak to a teacher about the importance of allowing students to access them at
school, and let them know why this matters.
In November 2015 the SMH reported on SSCA’s reaction to the public attention that ACL generated
towards the content of the program. The article states:
Safe Schools Coalition national program director Sally Richardson says while the
program encourages children to wear uniforms and use bathrooms which matches
their gender identity, there is no content which teaches sexual techniques or girls how
to bind their chest.
She said the ACL had wrongly accused Safe Schools of including content which was not
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